Religious symbol



Nov. 6, 1956 R. s. FEELEY RELIGIOUS SYMBOL Filed April 29, 1954 6 .s 2 mWm T e n G m a 70 ll .5 V R n F w. A S 6 n a, ll .i. o 3 3 M B 0 FIG. 3

United States Patent RELIGIOUS SYMBOL Robert S. Feeley, Carmel, N. Y.

Application April 29, 1954, Serial No. 426,510

'3 Claims. (Cl. 41-34) This invention relates to a religious symbol andprovides an object especially adapted to use as a guide to prayer andparticularly in the personal devotion to the Way of the Cross.

In performing this devotion in a church, one usually moves about thechurch pausing at each station of the cross and there repeating theappropriate prayer. When unable to visit a church for this purpose, onemay use a symbol of the respective stations, pausing at the respectivesymbols as though actually standing before the represented station. But,ordinarily, visual observation is necessary to distinguish the positionof one station of the cross from that of another.

By reason of blindness, or darkness or because ones eyes are closed inprayer, it is often difiicult, if not impossible, to make thisdistinction visually.

It is an object of my present invention to provide a symbol of thestations of the cross embodying means by which the position of therespective stations may be readily identified by the sense of touchduring prayer. It is a further object to provide a symbol of the typejust noted, which can be readily and inexpensively fabricated so as tobe available to all devoted persons at relatively low cost.

These and other objects are accomplished by my present invention, aswill appear from the following description of one embodiment thereofwith reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be understood thatthe invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment hereinspecifically illustrated, but also contemplates various modificationsthereof within the scope of the appended claims.

In its broader aspect the apparatus of the present invention comprises,in combination, a base plate, a crucifix mounted, either permanently orreadily removable, on the base plate, representations of the respective14 stations of the cross in fixed positions on the base plate about thecrucifix and a protrusion from the cross adjacent each station by whichthe position of the corresponding station may be readily identified bytouch. These protrusions may, for instance, be nails or thorns, or inplace of actual protrusions the respective positions may be indicatedand identified by grooves, or other indentations, positioned along theedges of the cross. .However, the term protrusion is used herein and inthe appended claims to designate such position-finders, whether actualprotrusions, or ridges, or grooves, or other indentations.

These identifying protrusions, or indentations, are, with advantage, asinconspicuous as possible, commensurate with ready identification bytouch, and may be placed either along the respective sides of the cross,or along the edges of the front face thereof, or they may extend fromthe sides around to the front of the cross, depending primarily upon thedesired appearance and whether or not the front face of the cross ispositioned flush with the front surface of the base plate.

2,769,266 Patented Nov. 6, 1956 "ice ' 2 The invention will be moreclearly understood from the following detailed description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of thecomposite object;

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line 22 of Figure 1 and shows anoptional easel arrangement for holding the device upright;

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the upper lamination of the base plate.

The assembly comprises a base plate 1 upon which there is symmetricallypositioned a crucifix 2. The crucifix is surrounded by symmetricallypositioned symbols 3 of the respective'14 stations of the cross.

In the particular embodiment of the invention shown, the base plate 1 isof laminar structure and is composed of a back plate 4 and a front plate5 secured together by any convenient means, for instance, a suitableadhesive, the front plate being beveled at its edges, as indicated at 6.It will be understood, however, that the base plate 1 is not necessarilylaminated but may, if desired, consist of a single layer. This baseplate, laminated or otherwise, may be composed of wood, stone, metal,pressed fibers, or other suitable material.

From the standpoint of economy and ready construction, the base is, withadvantage, composed of two layers of pressed board, as shown. The frontlayer of the laminated base is cut away, as shown at 7 of Figure 4, theopening extending entirely through the front layer and being of the sameconfiguration as the crucifix. When the front and the back layers of thebase have been assembled, this opening 7 provides a recess into whichthe crucifix nicely fits and from which it can be readily removed.However, where desired, the crucifix may be securely fastened within therecess, as by cementing or other suitable means.

Spaced along the edges of the cross of the crucifix at positionsadjacent to and corresponding to the respective stations of the crossare the protrusions 8. In the embodiment of the invention shown, thefront face of the cross is flush with the front face of the base plateand these protrusions are shown as extending around from the side edgesof the cross and slightly over the front face thereof so that theirpositions can be readily identifiable by touch without removing thecrucifix from the assembly. It will be understood, however, that theinvention also contemplates assemblies in which the crucifix projectsoutwardly beyond the front face of the base plate, so the protrusionsalong the edge, only, of the cross will be exposed to touch.

In such instances, the protrusions, with advantage, may be formed byordinary large-headed tacks, or the like. Where desired, the crucifixmay be partly removed from the recess so as to make the protrusions moresusceptible to touch, or where desired, the crucifix may be entirelyremoved from the assembly and held in ones hand during prayer, theposition of the respective stations of the cross then being identifiableby the corresponding notch 10 in the sides of the recess from which thecrucifix was removed, the notches otherwise being provided toaccommodate the protrusions along the side edges of the cross.

The cross of the crucifix may be constructed of wood, or other suitableand acceptable material. The symbol of Christ upon the crucifix shouldbe of a relatively indestructible material and may be secured to thecross by conventional means.

In Figure 2, the assembly is shown as provided with a collapsible easel9, by which it may be caused to stand in an upright position, but itwill be understood that the easel is not an essential element of theassembly.

The respective stations of the cross may be represented by inlays,carvings or engravings on the base plate, or may be printings on paper,or other suitable material, cemented to the face of the base plate.

The finding of the position of the respective stations of the cross isfacilitated by arranging the representations of the stations in asymmetrical pattern about the crucifix, and therefore such arrangementis especially advantageous, though other arrangements may be usedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A religious symbol especially adapted as a guide to prayer comprisinga base plate having a front face provided with a recessed portion of aconfiguration corresponding to that of the cross, a crucifix positionedon the front face of the base plate and comprising a cross with a symbolof Christ thereon and removably positioned in said recessed portion,representations of the respective fourteen stations of the crosspositioned about the crucifix and secured to the front face of the baseplate and spaced protrusions positioned along the edges of the cross atpoints adjacent to and corresponding to the positions of the respectivestations of the cross and identifiable by touch.

2. The symbol of claim 1 further characterized in that the recess isprovided with notches along its edges to accommodate the protrusionsfrom the side edges of the cross.

3. The symbol of claim 1 further characterized in that the base is oflaminar structure, the uppermost layer of the base having a recessedportion of a configuration corresponding to that of the cross andextending entirely through said uppermost layer of the laminated base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.167,748 Hennessy Sept. 16, 1952 1,480,880 Brennan Jan. 15, 19242,351,918 Brennan June 20, 1944

